Revelation
by Shadow- Reaver Squadron leader
Summary: Spyro and Cynder are gone, Ignitus presumed dead. Everyone goes about their daily business praising them, almost like gods. All, but one. One dragon, intent on finding the truth, is willing to destroy the true falsehood
1. Chapter 1

_**Alright, here it is, the first chapter(finally) of Revelation. Please enjoy.**_

_**Shadow**** Grebacier.**_

"_The search for truth always begins with a lie." -Maka, Daughter of Terrador and keeper of the books_

"And this is a true account?" a cloaked figure asked the re-teller after he had finished his story

"As true as the sky." he responded with a wide grin. The figure just nodded and paid the man for his trouble, leaving the saloon in the middle of the capitol city of Warfang, or what was left of it., all of it was a floating mess of land and debris, a permanent scar that constantly reminded the people of what was sacrificed to save it. Even at night, the temple guardians would hole themselves up, to the dismay of their children and grandchildren, just to avoid looking at the deep purple glow emanating from the core of the world. Another reminder.

With a soft sigh the figure entered the inn which served as it's home away from home and walked up to the counter "Still nothing, eh?" the creature behind it asked.

"Yeah, nothing. If you count nothing as another meaningless tale with which no leads are gained." the figure responded throwing his hood back, revealing the reptilian face of a dragon.

"Give up then. Not even the guardians know what happened to the two, or even Ignitus! They seemed to just vanish, and that is a good enough explanation for me." the creature replied tapping a slightly scaled hand on the desk in front of him "Here, you've distracted me for long enough today, find me tonight and we'll talk more then." it said, and the dragon was inclined to agree. Everyone knows how terribly hard it is for Grublins to become a welcome member of society, and make a living, when so many still regard them with hate and distrust. The dragon sighed lightly and made his way up to his room to wait out the remaining hours of daylight connecting what dots revealed themselves, only to find a solid stopping point at one place, the events after the battle of the destroyer. It was there when every account went completely off road, and dabbled in fantasy. There were numerous other points of course, and this latest tale held the least fantasizing, but like the temple services in honor of the great Spyro, and his love Cynder, it went askew by the time it hit the destroyer, leaving him in the dark to contemplate on what could have happened. He hated being in the dark.

When finally going over the written recording of the latest tale, he could tell it's creator didn't have a good storytelling capabilities, nor did the story make sense in some places. But it was the truest account he held so far, and treated it with respect. It was late into the night when the man behind the counter knocked on the door to his room before poking his head into the mess of papers with pits of string tying each paper together. All of this covering a wall, and the dragon was staring at this wall as if it would all burn and be lost forever, his eyes ravenous for details that he would never find in each paper, each account. The last time that Grublin would look at him, he would see an insatiable hunger burning deep within them, a thirst for information he would never receive. That look would haunt him for a time to come "You never dropped by."

"You never came by to let me know." came the terse reply "Had I know I would have wrapped up what I was doing."

The grublin nodded looking at the walls, all having some form of paper on them "You were serious about finding out what happened where you?" he asked as the dragon invited him in

"Very. This one record, this elusive record, stands between the truth, and the fantasy. And the truth can never be more speculated then in this tale. Spyro and Cynder vanishing, no-one to return triumphant, parading through the streets of Warfang like heroes, Ignitus presumed dead. This tale stores one of the greatest mysteries that this world has yet to face, and no-one goes looking for the truth behind the lies. They say they saved us when we don't know what happened. They could have initiated the destruction and Malefor jumped in to stop his world from being destroyed from around him. There are too many blanks, too much missing information. We know so little yet people do not wish to find more. It's like they appreciate intellectual stagnation!"

The grublin listened to the entirety of his rant with interest nodding in agreement with certain points, and remaining silent on others. By the time the dragon was finished, he had patted him on the shoulder comfortingly, and spoke his mind. By the time he was done, he had the dragon shooing him out of his room to get rest, saying he would need it in the days to come. The grublin obliged, and went to his own room, and quickly fell asleep, his dreams haunted by the hungry eyes that stared at him as if they were analyzing his soul for the very information that eluded the dragon so.

The dragon on the other hand was dreaming of the different accounts, the thousands of stories, thousands of lies with hidden truths, each revealing themselves, only to shout false by the end. Each story, over and over passed through his mind's eye, and each story brought with it a nightmare of horrific proportions. His search for truth ending in his death. One such dream, though, held a door. A door that was not there in the previous telling. The dragon walked to it, examining it and staring at it's ancient carved details. Pushing open the door he found himself in a library that stretched as far as his eyes could see, and, suspiciously, he continued onwards down the pathway looking with awe and note-able amounts of suspicion at the titles of some of the books _"The first age"_ one said, and another _"History of the Guardians."_ he pulled that book from it's place on the shelf, and slid another spine down, to mark where he took it from. Skimming through it, he couldn't believe what he was reading until he was shocked to see every single one of the guardians of today's time with a mark saying _first guardians of the seventh age_. He looked at the first three pictures and gave a shout of surprise and dropped the book when another picture added itself to a blank page. "What is the meaning of this!" he exclaimed picking up the book once more and looking at the newly filled page reading the name of the dragon who's picture had been added under the _Fire Guardians_ his heart nearly jumped into his throat, in both fear, and happiness. His closest friend has gotten the position, but was this merely a dream? He placed the book back and walked on landing himself in a clearing, with a high roof, and a viewing port. Spreading his wings, he landed on the platform just in front of the port, which creaked under his weight but stood firm.

Looking out is what astonished him most of all. The library was suspended in convexity, the draconic world of time standing still. Off in the distance he could see the portal that would have brought Malefor into the world empty and suspended in time, the library a labyrinth of hallways and viewports, with scrolls hanging above each. One of said scrolls having a language he learned to read and speak, but not converse in, sounding each word out he soon founds himself staring to where he once was, his face pale when he read the scroll _"Aether" _his name. This couldn't be happening, it was all some sort of dream, a nightmare. Shaking his head he leaped off of the platform, which was higher then the rest and had view-ports all around in a ring and landed amidst a workshop, like where one would record books. He saw one unfinished, lying on the table, and he walked to it and read it.

"_He stood within the workshop and read the book slowly, confused and afraid of what he was to find. The events so far have already planted a seed of fear and suspicion of this place in his mind, one that seemed to grow when reading each word."_

Aether shook his head and looked around, before turning his attention back to the book, which was adding a new paragraph, word by word.

"_He couldn't believe what he was reading, and turned his head away to shake the thoughts that were telling him he should read on. They got the better of his judgment though and he continued reading each word as the appeared on the page, written by some unknown hand, and known by some invisible force. Aether couldn't place the writing, and he recoiled once he read his name, his mind telling him that this was impossible, that someone was wreaking foul magicks upon his head, and upon his dreams. Curiosity brought his eyes back to the book before his mind made it's decision to flee, and he read on, each word, and each thought being written as it happened."_

He couldn't read it anymore tearing his eyes away from the book he searched for something, anything to tell him that he wasn't bewitched by some foul beast. Put under someone's spell and trapped so his mortal body could do their bidding. What he found, however, pushed every story he had ever heard into oblivion, shattered each into fragments of truth and lies, and built one singular story from the ground up into a book. That book, came from a singular item resting within the middle of the chamber, it's glow illuminating his mind, and capturing him where he stood. In front of him, was an hourglass. The dragon standing behind it, who looked to him with an intensity he would only see from one who saw the world die and be reborn, one responsible for chronicling every event that would happen, one meant to live out the rest of the age in solitude and confinement, reading and writing the tales of the world, and it's inhabitants, walked past it and stood before him. Aether found himself on his belly before the dragon, and his entire body was shaking with a fear of neither death, or any foe, but of a power that had spanned centuries, chronicled ages. A power that could have him confined and tortured until the day comes that time stops, and everything stands still, the end of existence.

"Aether, welcome to my home." it spoke, it's voice, calming, controlled, and masculine. "I know why you have come, although you may not know it yourself, please, stand." and Aether stood finding a place on his haunches in awe, bewilderment, and wonder. "You chronicle the lives of many, and you have chronicled the war against Malefor, bringing together accounts from veterans, the guardians, and the citizens. Because of this, I have brought you here, to learn of that which you so desperately wish to find out, in doing so, You shall live here, and you shall aid me until time comes that you should take my place. Upon which you shall have been wizened by the world, and have traveled among it so that every event chronicled you will have experienced. So it was that I have traveled the world, seen the rise of the dark master, his imprisonment, and his release, culminating the start of the war against Malefor." The dragon spoke, and he was compelled to listen.

"Now, I know of your name, and I know your deeds, but you have yet to know mine. Leave your home, and commission a flying boat to the ruin of Captain Skabb's fleet, once there, fly due east into the maelstrom it will not harm you, and you will find the winds will speed you towards the floating islands. Each contains a lock, and a test you must pass. Should you fail one of the tests, each lock will reset, and your time shall be stripped, until you have only enough for a last breath. You may take one other with you, for the road is long and treacherous alone. Now, go, and find my domain on your mortal world." The dragon said turning away as Aether felt a strange wrenching sensation, until he woke up in a sweat a single book beside him, which words were continuously added, and a paragraph highlighted amidst the newly forming words.

Aether stared at it for a second or two, before closing the book calmly, and violently tossing it to the other side of the room. As far as he knew, that book was bewitching him, and... and... well, he actually didn't really fear the book... it was what the book represented. He feared linearity, he feared a set path, an end he knew nothing about, yet, remained within sight of his manipulators. He was a chess player, not a pawn of some "High-and-Mighty" dragon who thought he knew everything, and will know everything. He sneered at the book, and everything it represented. Before turning to his window, and watching the sun rise... It was then he decided, the book was going into the river that flowed near the city.

Walking over, and picking it up with much disdain, he slid it into the book carrier he used to ferry other books from the library to his room, where he did the vast majority of his research. Sliding out in the wee hours of the morning, just after the sun crested the horizon, he began his trek towards the river. Only to run into the girl he had his eyes on for the last year. His cheeks flushed, and he stuttered out a morning greeting to her own. She giggled... sweet, innocent... he shook his head, attempting to change the thoughts running through his head from pleasured moans, to the book which he so despised... His anger, kept his slight arousal in check. Good.

"Where you off to?" She asked, with a sing-song tone in her voice

"Uh, no-where special." he replied, refusing to even glance at the book.

"Oh, mind if I join? Your never up this early, always doing some sort of research late into the night, then, when I get back, your rushing off to your room with nary a word to spare save for 'Hi.'"

She always was a talkative one, but he liked those types, someone to converse with when everything else was said and done "I've been busy... really busy try-"

"Yes, yes, I know what you are trying to do. I do ask after people, remember?"

"Ah, right..." he responded, what a way to respond. "So... What's up then?" he almost kicked himself for asking the next question "Mind joining me?"

"Of, course!" she responded quickly, happily, it made his heart jump a beat...

"G-great!" he responded, holding up a foreleg for her to continue on, him following on her left side.

They continued on in silence for a third of the trip, her vanishing from his side at times to look at the wares of the morning markets before upon her fourth return, she spoke up

"So... Where are you in your research?"

"My... research?" he asked drawing a blank for a moment "Oh! My research! Well... the latest account I had transcribed was by far the most complete. Grublins tend to be a vivid, and detail oriented people and tend to make very good historians." he replied adjusting the book, which stood like a weight against him and continued on "Apparently, He was in the city when Spyro and Cynder were attacking the Golem. His command nearly stopped them from saving the city. Unfortunatly, things backfired, and the plan which he so carefully laid out, fell to ashes around him. He survived, thankfully, and the duo went on to close the gates and stop the intruders from destroying Warfang."

She nods, understanding. That was another quality he liked about her, she understood him, and he was by far the hardest person to understand when he was flying everywhere. But, regardless of his fantasies, he knew they were friends for a reason, more or less.

"So what's the book for?" She asked... and he was loathe to respond.

"The book? It's just my latest piece of research, was meant for the chopping block, so the library gave it to me with instructions to do what I wish with it when done."

"Oh, mind if I take a look?" she asked and he had to tell her no.

"It's, not something I think you would like. Whole bunch of old war tales." he justified, they were nearing the river, and this whole illusion would be behind him.

"I like those kinds of stories."

His inner calm fell, he forgot the couple times he was in the library looking for books, she was there beside him, chatting it up in the less traveled sections of the rows upon rows of books. "Right... he murmured trying to think up another quick excuse "It's explicit, incredibly explicit..." he gave an inner sigh of relief, thinking he finally got the attention from it.

"Like how explicit?"

Uh, oh... "Well... Imagine a battle..." he said and she nodded "Now go into detail about what the person was doing."

"Doesn't sound very different from most stories."

He cursed himself, and before he could think of another response, the book was out of the carrier, and in the fleeing dragoness' hands, to which he gave rapid chase, if that book recorded everything... he began sprinting with near endless stamina... he had to get it back before she... he entered the clearing where he saw the girl disappear to "...reads it." he groaned to himself, his companion already three pages within, before turning to see him and blushing slightly

"I... uh... Think you should take this back..." she said, handing him the book back to which he put away quickly.

"Thanks..." he murmured, wondering what she thought of him now

"It seems to be saying something important. I only managed to read the highlighted portion, and whoever wrote it seems to think something lies out there. She perked up a little "If you go, can I join you!"

"I... No, I'm not going."

"Why not? That sounds fun, plus... if just by the age and texture of the bindings and book, it was made a long time ago. I didn't get to catch the title though... Mind reading it off? I couldn't understand it."

Aether sighed "Sure... Might as well. The name of the book is-" he froze, staring at the runes on the page "It's..."

"It's?" the dragoness asked curious now

Aether's mouth was dry, he couldn't speak... Before him the runs stood, and glowed with a power only he seemed to recognize to understand. A few more seconds and he was aware of the dragoness in front of him waving a hand in front of his face...

"What's the name of the book?" she asked taking it from his hands again _"Lorsveki di wer Sililos Darastrixi, _What an odd name..." she murred confused "What does it mean?"

"It means..." Aether responded, his blue scales bristling with fear "Prophecies of the Purple Dragon."

The dragoness didn't believe this, at first, and sunk her nose back into the book starting from the beginning. Only to drop the book in shock. "T-that can't be..." she squeaked... the page the book landed on when opened was faced, with three runes spelling out a name, and a picture of the beast to which the name belonged. She didn't need him to ask him to read off the runes. She knew the picture well enough.

"I-It's..." Both looked to each other for a split second in fear before they said what the other was thinking

"Malefor."

"But, how?" She asked after a minute of silence

"I... I don't know..." he picked up the book again, and turned to the last page

_He looked at the words forming on the page. Stared at them with an intensity he had never used before. Within the 'Prophecies', held the answer for the question plaguing his mind. "What was I called for... What did he want... Why am I in the Prophecies of the Purple Dragons?" these questions rolled through his mind, his partner walking up beside him on silent steps to look at what he was reading. He continued on, as she jumped backwards, not expecting the words to be forming along the page. Intensely he stared, intensely he read, until a single thought formed in his mind. Check some of the other accounts within the book. They hold the reasons._

Aether didn't need the book to know what he was about to do. Flipping to earlier prophecies and chronicles of past purple dragons, he found a reason, but no sense in it. A single prophecy highlighted itself before his eyes, a sequel to the prophecy of the purple dragon. The dragoness creeped back to his side as he ravenously tore apart the information in the prophecy, analyzing each piece...

_On a night of Darkness eternal, an enemy is reawakened. Evil, released upon the world._

_The well, now broken serves no more as a jumping point between this world and the next._

_Cut off from the major source of his power, the evil one waited for a day to dawn._

_That day came, and bound he was to another._

_Through trial, both rushed triumphant. Until, weeks after awaking, they found themselves facing down the evil one's own self._

_The evil one was told of his place in the world, why he existed, and rallying against it, pushed himself back and locked himself away. With fire and earth raining around him, and the world's destruction beginning the evil one came to terms with himself, and with his mate beside him, remade the world._

_Sealed away, the Evil one lives, surviving off the core of the world, until such a time as he is reawakened once more. Both of black storming the world with a fury that will bring about another. Long awaited._

_With a strong hand guiding him, and a heavy heart, one not of purple will stop the evil one, and restore him to balance. The trials ahead are many, and the one not of purple will find that in the course of his quest he will transcend the boundaries set by the makers of the old world. Two of the color will co-exist in the realms. The older training the younger._

_Two of black will co-exist, the younger learning from the older. The second of black shall become of the color upon an event marked by fate and sealed in time._

_Four must live to save the old. Guardians four will rejoice the two, and two will continue to find the one. Two will die, and one will return._

_So is this prophecy written, and sealed within the vestiges of time. The path is laid, stars aligned. Stick to this guidance, and true you will fly._

Aether read it over once more, trying to make sense of the passage.

"Well, what do you think it means?" The dragoness next to him asked.

"I don't know, Saphinara. I do not know."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two is out. Originally I had writers block for this, but I have to hand it to Sam Hulick and the gang at Bioware for their awesome soundtrack for Mass Effect 3, got me writing within a couple minutes of listening. I would especially like to thank Faunts for their awesome credits music they did for the game to jumpstart the chapter. This chapter is inspired by '_View of Palaven_' When Shepard and the gang go to the Turian homeworld, that song plays, and it reminds me of destruction the Reapers cause the planet.**

**_~Shadow_**_ Grebacier_

Aether shot up, and looked around... good, he thought he heard something... setting his head back down he was careful not to bother the sleeping Saphinara next to him. Some day yesterday was... First the dream, then finding out he was in the _Prophecies._ Oh, that one made his day. He thought back to what happened only minutes after that... How events had started to make the smallest bit of sense.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you don't know! It's your book, right?" Saphinara squeaked, her voice cracking from fear. Aether didn't answer her "right?"<p>

"No."

"No! What do you mean, no!"

"I mean, the book is not mine-"

"Well, how in the name of the ancestors did you get it!"

"Let me finish, and I'll tell you." That shut her up. "Now, no, the book isn't mine, no, I didn't steal it, and yes, I got it through legitimate means... or, as legitimate as the chronicler giving it to me."

"You-"

"Ah! Let me finish..." Saphinara slumped back on her haunches and gave the book a wary glance before focusing on the dragon in front of her. "Now, listen. Whatever this book is describing, we know we are going to play an integral part in the coming events, if we knew what the hell was going to happen." He stopped to take a breath, and to think for a second or two "Whatever happens though, it would seem that the gods' rule of the purple dragons is going to be rewritten, at the same time rewriting the rule about his mate."

Saphinara nodded, her normally dark, earth brown scales a shade lighter, it wasn't hard to guess why. "So... What do we do?"

"What we do..." Aether responded setting himself down beside her for a moment "is we find the Chronicler, and find out what he wants of me next. He gave me this book for a reason, I'm sure he would answer as to why." Saphinara nodded in agreement, and both took a minute more, before heading back to the city to commission their boat.

* * *

><p>Aether's eyes swiveled around in their sockets as he got a good look at the area around them. They were under a hatch with port-holes all around them. Through them, he was able to see the wreckage of several large ships. Still kept in the air by magic he didn't fully understand. Slowly he got up, and traveled to the deck above him, shielding his eyes from the glare of the bright morning sun till they adjusted. After which, he got a good look around the ship, where he could see the true scale of the wreckage, undisturbed. Some ships were resting on the top of the water others still floating in the air, the magic keeping them above the blue veil, regardless of the multitude of holes riddling the hull. Some were burned and blackened with bodies of apes and jackals lying dead, the magic within the boats keeping the bodies safe from decay. The sight was truly macabre. Some would say a bad omen.<p>

Walking to the bow of the ship, Aether looked out to the destruction, his historians mind piecing together what happened here. He turned his head, and saw a young purple dragon tearing into two apes as he attempted to get to the captain of the fleet. The image was fleeting, and once it left, he was looking at two dead apes, tears and gashes running along their bodies. One eviscerated from what looked like a pair of horns. Aether turned away from the scene, his face an unhealthy tinge of green as he broke sight of the long dead, it's organs resting on the deck in a pool of acid and blood.

"Oi!" the captain of the vessel called to him "This is where you wanted to go right?" Aether nodded in response, unable to speak "Alright, There's a ship up ahead, it looks relatively unharmed. I'll leave you off there." Aether nodded again

"T-that would be fine... Thanks." he managed to respond before heading back into the hold to wake the sleeping dragoness that accompanied him.

"We there already?" The sleepy Saphinara asked, not fully awake, although she was sitting on her haunches

"Yeah, we are. Captain's going to drop us off on a boat that's still moderately intact. We'll eat there then head off for the Maelstrom." Aether responded nudging her a bit "When we get there, try not to look too closely at a couple of the other boats. It isn't a pretty sight."

"Wh-" she yawned "why?"

"This fleet is a ghost fleet, one of those rare occurrences when the magic decides for itself when the fleet dies. Remember what I told you about the bodies left behind on them?" He answered her as she nodded

"I remember." Saphinara answered "How long till we arrive?"

"We should be pulling alongside in a couple seconds..." Aether responded as they swayed forward gently, a sign the boat had stopped moving. "Grab your stuff." He finished sliding a bag onto his side, and the book in it's carrier on his other side. Saphinara gave it a wary gaze, and a wide berth, coming around to his right side.

"Ready." She told him and they both went up to the upper deck, and with a couple words with the captain payed the half they still owed for the journey and disembarked, stepping onto the creaking deck of the broken ship, which looked to be half of the command craft. Saphinara continued on into the depths as Aether watched the boat leave the blue dragon tapping his tail lightly against the ship, before tuning and following the earth-brown dragoness.


	3. Chapter 3

Aether walked through the ship, following the obvious path of Saphinara, the objects that she moved to continue, or just to see what was inside. Turning a corner, he saw the brown dragoness curled up on the floor, shivering. "What you find?" he asked, padding up to her and curling around her comfortingly. She welcomed this, frightened as she was.

"D-don't look around the corner..." she responded, her body a pale shade of brown and freezing, desperately trying to gain some form of warmth from him. He looked to her, then to the corner before giving her a reassuring squeeze and poking his head around slightly What he saw made his heart jump. They found the treasure room, what he saw after that sent him scrambling back to the earth dragoness. That couldn't be right could it? Spyro defeated Skaab, how could he not have a... He checked again, then noticed fundamental differences in the armor. This wasn't Skaab, this was his brother, Skaar.

"Saph, c'mon, get outta here, I'll try and run them out." she looked at him with wide eyes, but his stern gaze had her taking his bag and running. Once he was sure she was safe and hidden he got in a couple cracks between the walls, into a blocked off room, and through the crack he breathed a blizzard, which rapidly found it's way to the group in the room, blanketing the treasure room in a pure white snow. This wasn't the most though, as he channeled his spirit into the ice to make an atronach, a form of ice, which he modeled into the likeness of Skaab, and took control, lumbering the beast of ice directly into the room.

"Who be in my ship attem'n to take my treasure?" the form asked sword drawn, and acting menacing.

"Brother! Glad t'see you made it back from the honored dead. Unfort'natly, Bein' dead means that this here treasure, isn't yours anymore." Skaar replied back

"I beg t'differ. Alive or dead, any treasure that I have won follows me in death as it does in life. Taking from the pile will curse you, if you remember what the Gypsy said." he was going out on a limb, but Aether hoped it would work.

"Cursed my ass. That 'un couldn't curse a fly, much less me. I'm unstoppable."

The ice Skaab smirked, of it's own accord "Oh, brother, brother... I know your Gypsy couldn't do what I claimed, but you forget about the gypsy that tainted the first coin of our piles with blood, forever binding them to us, and whatever else we aquire. You can only take this trove if I give it of my own free will."

Skaar growled "Damn. I forgot about that bitch. I'll be back brother, and when I do. I'll be bringing that gypsy with me." and he departed, moving for his own ship as the ice form, relenquished from Aether's control moved back to the room, and disapated into snow and flew through the crack

"You... You gave me a body... As much as I would like to gut you and yer friend. I am grateful enough to send you away with with your lives. Although, not without being of use to me. Come."

the form vanished into snow, drifting towards the treasure room once more, when Aether got to the room, it had it's hand out, and was chanting in a strange tongue. Once he was finished, there was a blast of wind centered around Skaab which rushed outwards, sending whatever ships left in the sky to converge on the half they were in When Skaab turned and dropped a coin at his Aether's feet, the young Ice dragon was confused. "Won't this end the curse?"

"No. it will not. Just because I give you a coin does not mean that the curse will be lifted. I am merely transferring control of the treasure to you. So long as you own that coin, the treasure will be yours, and my brother, nor the gypsy will be able to touch it. I had planned to give it to my heir, to keep it from his greedy hands. But, I have no heir, so you will inherit this horde. If you have need of it, I will guard it at the bottom of the sea. Take what you will now, for you will not see it again, unless my ships rise from the ocean once more. "One more thing..." Skaab slashed Aether's leg, cutting deep and taking his blood on the sword, which he then touched the coin with. Miraculously, Aether's leg began to heal, what would have been a fatal wound would look to be closed in under a week.

"Wrap up your wound then leave me with my hoard. Take the coin with you, and do not lose it. Consider this a pirate's last wish." The ice Skaab lumbered over to the pile and fell to snow around it, leaving behind a bleeding Aether, and the coin, which he took in the paw that wasn't wounded and rapidly hobbled to Saphinara to get his medical supplies.

Fortunately for him, Saphinara wasn't far, unfortunately, the minute he stepped into the room with a still bleeding foreleg she not ony barraged him with questions, but cursed him for taking on the group alone, all in the course of wrapping his wound as painfully as she could make it, while still leaving it able to heal properly.

"Gee... Thanks for your generosity..." Aether near cried testing his weight on it, and wincing.

"Maybe that will teach you to not throw yourself in harms way. Just because your in a book of prophecy doesn't mean your invincible." He was about to rebuke, but thought better of it and sighed resignedly

"I suppose your right." he looked around for a second "Now, we ready to go?"

"Yeah, we are, I ate already. Wha-"

"I'll eat on the fly, just pass me a bit when we leave."

"Why so anxious to get outta this place?"

"Because I have a sinking feeling this place is-" A large crack resounded through the ship and, staring out of the hole they came in, watched as the mast swung inwards and closed it, only to hear a larger crack as the rest fell off into the ocean, then, a falling sensation, slowly at first, but getting faster by the minute.

"Going to come down, run!" Aether called as the earth dragoness took the front, and ignoring his pain, him launching off after her in their mad-dash to the upper-decks they slowed only so Saphinara could use her flail to open a path. By the time they cleared the second to last deck, they splashed down hard into the ocean's top, which jarred them for a minute. Catching their breath slightly, Aether looked back to see the water rushing up through the holes they made.

"Keep going! Now!" he started pushing Saphinara until she was running at just as breakneck a pace as he was, smashing through the last two decks and launching into the air, Aether wasn't far behind her, and as she unfurled her wings, she caught one in the netting used to get to the upper mast, forcing Aether to dive back in after her. He had just got the first bind free when they plunged into the sea's surface. Which forced Saphinara to gasp for air, and take in a lungful of water, which her body violently began to try and cough out... only further helping her drown. Aether on the other hand, stood latched to the net, trying to free his friend, he glanced sideways slightly, Saphinara was passed out... Not good. Slicing through the last couple bindings with his good arm, he grabbed the unconscious dragoness and rapidly swam for the surface, using his wings to aid him. Once breaking into the precious air he was running out of, he wasted no time in forming an ice floe large enough for the two to rest on which he got Saphinara on top of, and started pumping the water out from her lungs.

Aether cursed himself with each push on her chest, accusing himself of bringing her along. He hated that she had to get hurt because of him. With three more pushes and a couple angry tears, the earth dragoness started coughing, and opened her eyes with a deep breath of fresh air "Hey! Hey, easy... Not so much at one time..." he smiled, wiping away the remnants of the tears on his face

she looked around, scared for a moment, then relaxed "You... Saved me..."

"I couldn't let you drown, now could I?"

"Well, no... But, you saved -me-."

"I don't really see where your going with this." he sighed tired. Looking up, Aether could see the storm-clouds getting closer, and increased the ice floe by enough for them to eat and sleep in, and closing them in with a large enough hole to get out of should they need to.

She just giggled and kissed him lightly in thanks, before settling back and watching his reaction, which was a rigid catatonic state for the better part of two minutes. By the time he recovered the girl in question was asleep, and he was hungry, tucking into a bit of the food just as the light pattering of the rain hit the ice.

* * *

><p><p>

Aether yawned blinking blearily as he forced his body to wake up. Only one side of the Ice floe was moving, which he thought odd, even odder was the fact that he heard absolutely no rain. That shouldn't be right, so, what he did next obviously was poke his head out the hole in the ice floe, it was dark, but from what he could see, they were on an island of sorts, with a myriad of broken buildings and fallen pillars. Further in, he could see the glow of a Lava pit, and nothing lay beyond that area.

Then he looked up... Needless to say, his breath was caught in his throat. A myriad of islands hung in slow, but constant motion, twirling in circular motions around the lava pit. He focused on a single island and watched the bottom spontaneously combust and burn. Shaking his head free of the sight, he focused on another, seconds after that, it froze over, icicles hanging off, dangerously close to breaking, yet, firm in their grip. He need not look at the others to know that he will find the other two elements erupt from them.

"I made it... Finally, I'll have my answers." Aether chuckled as Saphinara prushed up against his side trying to see

"We finally make it?" she asked as he nodded, squeezing himself out and landing in the shallow water on the first island.

"So, we push inwards now. Shouldn't be hard. I mean, what's the worst we can face? Statues?"

"I'd quit while your ahead, Aether." Saphinara voiced "Just because you said that, means we'll probably have to face a lot more then just statues."

"Well, now that you said it we will." he sighed "That, and these so called tests I must face..."

"What do you think they are?"

"I have no clue. All I know is that I cannot fail them, my life is forfeit otherwise."

"l-life?" Saphinara stuttered, not quite happy about the punishment enacted

"Yeah, Let's go." Aether began walking as the dragoness squeezed her way out of the floe

"W-wait! Shouldn't we... I dunno, ask about the tests?"

"Who's there to ask? Let's just go and get this settled, I want answers."

"You and me both, but without knowing what your doing your just going to get yourself killed!"

"Well, what do you expect me to do? It's not like I can contact the chronicler at will, Nor will the book show us what to do. It writes what were doing at present, not what's going to happen. The only way we will find out, is if we go to the chronicler ourselves, and pass these tests." He sighed walking on "if we just sit there waiting for something we'll never leave this area. Now come-on. We have to make it to the first island. Fire-island."

Saphinara nodded, there was no arguing with that logic "So, which one is fire-island?"

"Look up."

"Why would I-" she looked upwards to see the closest island burst into flame "urk... we're going there?"

"Yeahuh. Fire-island."

"But... but..."

"Yes, I know, it's probably just the underside anyway." Aether walked up to one of the pillars blocking their path "I'll help you up, c'mon."

She nodded carefully, and used his back to cross over the pillar "Wow, looks ni-" she screamed and disappeared from view

"Saphinara! Sapphy!" he called just about to hop up and pull himself over, when her head popped out from over the edge

"Sorry, fell..."

"Ancestors, you had me worried there."

"Sorry..." she murred, before dropping her paw down to help him up which he gladly took and pulled himself up

"Your right, it does look nice." he admired as they stared out into the silent almost ghostly ruins, taken back by the forest beyond "let's keep moving. We have a lot of ground to cover." he finished, done looking at the scenery as he dropped to the ground, and began walking into the forest.


	4. Chapter 4

Aether walked carefully, Saphinara, following and watching their backs. They learned to be wary when they reached fire-island. The instant they touched down, they had several, if not more, fire-encased statues rush them. Thankfully, Aether was an Ice dragon, which made dousing them easy, as all he had to do was breath a column of ice, which melted into water before it hit them. He was smart enough to know that if he charged headfirst into the fray, he would either be killed or he would get Saphinara killed. Not something he wanted to happen.

The rest of the way was relatively uneventful, although they did run into the occasional state patch, which was easily dispatched. Eventually they made it to a large oak door which had several, if not more runes inscribed onto it. All naming off the different forms of existences of fire. "Nice place." he heard Saphinara say next to him as she walked about the large stone room

"I'll say." He replied carefully examining the runes on the surface of the door, reading each one, in an attempt to discern how to open it.

"Hey, what do you think this pool is for?" Turning his head from the runes, he walked over to the dragoness.

"Dunno, seems odd though." Aether responded, and Saphinara nodded her agreement. He took some time to read the runes on the floor

_Fire, Yol, Ixen; all explain change, given form. When one can master change, and push it to obey one's bidding, can they light the pool, and signal the end of the first test._

Aether looked back to the door, then to the pool, and with Saphinara watching, breathed some ice on the door, and vanished.

* * *

><p>Aether woke slowly, everything was hot... which was odd. Looking around he saw the city of Warfang, burning, as Grublins ran amok in the streets, turning his head to the left slightly, he saw two tails, one purple, one black, vanish behind a corner. Forcing himself to his feet, he walked forward a bit, as a couple moles came to him to make sure he was okay, thanking them he looked around "What's going on here?"<p>

"The Dark Master's troops attack, you uct get underground as quickly as possible." the lead mole said, as he began to lead him to the next group.

"No. What is the fastest way to the city walls?"

"What? Are you nuts? I cannot allow you to go."

"Too, bad, I am." Not waiting for their response, Aether rushed off after where he saw the twin tails vanish, turning the corner, What he saw scared him thoroughly, A golem, walking towards one of the buildings. Swallowing his fear, for however long he could, he pressed onwards, following a path of destruction which he knew could only be left by two dragons. Rapid steps had him following in their path quickly, but slow enough so as to always stay a corner behind them, mostly because of Grublin patrols. Once he made it to a clearing, he looked around, unsure of which way they went, Until one of the guardians came crashing down beside him, Terrador, buy the looks of him. The large Earth dragon made a soft sound, unconscious as he was which inclined Aether to bring a wooden pole lit in flame, and breath a small stream of ice into it, melting it and sending the freezing water over the large dragon.

"Wha..." Terrador moaned

"Finally! Terrador, Where are Spyro and Cynder?"

"What? Why would you want to know... Wait, how do you know? Who are you!"

"No time. If I don't make it to that Golem, they won't have a chance at beating it."

Terrador's eyes narrowed, but he got up and walked to a section of the wall, before knocking it in with his flail "Go, do what you must, I have to find the other guardians."

Aether nodded, and bolted down the building and out the other side, watching the two dragons just turn a corner, and begin their fight to the top of the tower. Aether's legs made him bolt to that corner and run into the duo as they just finished a group of Grublins.

"Wha- Hey! Watch where your going!" Cynder retorted as Aether shook his head, momentarily frozen as he stood in the presence of the two legendary dragons.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Spyro asked curious and Aether Shook his head

"I.. no, nothing is wrong. But the golem, You have to hear me out!"

"What about the golem? What do you know?"

"There is a way t beat it, to kill it for good, more or less." Aether pointed to a point on his head "Right here. There is a dark crystal there that does some massive damage to it. Easy enough to take out, if you can get close. If you don't stop it, It has the potential to tear apart all of Warfang."

"We kinda figured." Cynder sighed "Anything else you have for us, or can we go?"

"Wait... How do you know this?"

"I am a Historian, My name is Aether. You aren't the only one who was contacted by the Chronicler, Spyro."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Chronicler?" Cynder asked

"Long story..." Spyro repsonded but he got defensive "How do you know that, why are you here?"

"This is a test, I was sent to the same Island you went to when you were younger to take the tests to prove myself. I am currently going through the test of fire."

"The test of fire? Your an Ice dragon! The only burning you can do is freezer-burn."

"Cynder..." Spyro responded "So, test of fire huh? Come with us then. I'll show you how to use fire." Spyro responded, turning as Cynder stared at him

"Spyro, what are you doing? We don't have time for that!"

"Cyn, if I know the chronicler, Aether has to learn fire, or his life is forfeit, It's obvious, as well, that he was picked for a reason. If as an ice dragon, the chronicler is making him go through the test of fire, then he has to learn fire, or he dies. Best time to do it is now."

Cynder gave a mumbled half-heard response, and followed after her soon-to-be mate. And Aether followed after them.

Running through the city Spyro was giving Aether a crash-course in the element, who did his best to call upon said element. At one point, they encountered a Large Gublin, which would jump high, and bring his weapon crashing down on the trio, missing Aether, and Spyro by inches each time. Finally, it separated the trio, and kept the pressure on Aether, while sending a legion of Grublins to pester Spyro and Cynder. Seeing that they were sufficiantly occupied, the leader turned around and slipped on a mask, blue as his scales, but, when struck with Ice, seemed only to make the leader stronger. Rethinking his strategy, Aether tried to use Fire, but failed, nearly having his head crushed into the ground in the process.

"C'mon Aether... use your emotions..." he repeated to himself attempting to burn his enemy again. That got him smacked into the side of a building. Shaking his head free of it's confusion, he heard a screech, as a wave of fear hit him from where Cynder shot it. He began to hallucinate, looking back to the leader as it walked, the broken and torn body of Seraphina lying dead behind it. This hit home his fight response, and anger boiled in his veins. With a strong cry of anger, and rage, he flung himself at the beast, his body encased in fire as it tore past the masks protective barrier, and into the flesh of the beast searing it and near killing it. It fell backwards, clutching where Aether's horns rammed through it's body unflinching, The dragon walked up to the head of the beast, and rammed a flaming fist through it's skull, before burning the rest of it's body.

Aether rushed to Spyro and Cynder's aid, soon after, helping them clean up, which would have taken a bit longer without him. Spyro, upon seeing the charred corpse of the leader, smiled and patted Aether on the back lightly "So you finally got it."

"Yay, Whoo hoo. Sooo happy for you."

Aether gave her a slight stare "Oh, like I -definitely- needed your help."

"Sure... And you -definitely- would have killed it without me."

Spyro looked between the two and chuckled, he knew Cynder was the queen of snark, but it would seem she finally found someone who would snark back. "Let's get going."

"Yes, lets. We wouldn't want to drop behind now would we?"

"Just try to keep up."

Cynder and Spyro took off with Aether following close behind, and while they landed, he was crossing over the legions of Grublins they were killing and burned them from above.

Continuing like this, the trio burned, slashed and froze their way through the legions, up until they encountered a field commander between them and their objective. Aether walked up, figuring that this was the last enemy in his test "You guys keep going, I'll keep him busy."

"Charge."

"Cynder..." Spyro sighed "Don't hurt yourself for us, We'll handle it together."

"We've wasted enough time. The Golem isn't dead yet. Sides, I won't die. I'll just stall him for long enough to take care of the Golem."

"By all means, rush in. We'll miss you."

Aether chuckled "Yeah, sure you would. Anyway, get going. Don't let it stomp around Warfang."

Both nodded and took off, as the creature took a lumbering step forward to attack as Aether dodged to the side. It's club crashing down where he stood, breathing a large gout of flame he broadsided it harshly before charging into the burning hulk hoping to knock it off balance. This didn't succeed, and it grabbed him and tossed him away, before charging him again and swinging with it's club, which Aether barely dodged after regaining his footing. Another gout of fire launched from his maw, and hit the creature broadside, burning it for a good deal of damage, and Aether charged one more time, encasing himself in fire as he charged the beast once more. This giving the power needed to knock back the creature, and knock away it's armor. Aether wasted no time in descending on the beast with all the intent of tearing the creature apart. He got a couple hits in before getting beat back as it lumbered back to it's feet Growling it hit the ground, started spinning, attempting to hit him again, which Aether didn't dodge. Smashing into him with the force of a freight train he was launched back and into a building, and was sure that last hit broke the majority of his ribs, if not more. Shakily getting back on his feet, he charged the beast once more and sent a torrent of flame as hot as the sun, before ramming into it repeatedly, until with a final hit, it was sent toppling to it's death, followed by the Golem soon after.

Triumphantly, Aether strode away from the edge, only to find himself back in the circular stone room.

* * *

><p>Saphinara blinked a couple seconds after Aether disappeared, walking to the spot where he stood she sniffed the air. Nothing, nowhere was her friend. She sat back on her haunches and dropped their stuff on the floor, not believing what just happened. She closed her eyes, and told herself he would be there when she opened them.<p>

How right she was.

Aether jumped into being, hurting, but unharmed the minute she closed her eyes, and when she opened them, he was lying on the floor, mumbling about a pain in his side.

An hour later, when everything was set and Aether checked a multitude of times to make sure he was perfectly fine he explained exactly what happened to him and how he managed to get though the ordeal. There were a couple minutes when Saphinara would be silent, and he gave her a stare when she mentioned something about 'two bitches on their first date' She just shrugged, and continued his retelling. Once done, he got up, and lit the fire for the first test.


End file.
